After 34 years in New England, well-known offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia announced his retirement from the Patriots on Tuesday.
And while it’s not Scarnecchia’s first retirement, it surely sounded like it will be his last.
“I’m going to be 72 in a few weeks, it feels like it’s time,” Scarnecchia said, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Scarnecchia returned at the request of Patriots coach Bill Belichick after his initial retirement in 2013. He has been back on to the sideline since 2016 while this past year was his 36th season in the NFL and 34th in New England.
“You never know what to expect in this crazy business and it’s been an unbelievable four years,” Scarnecchia said.
“An unbelievable career. To coach 48 seasons of football, it’s been unbelievable and I never would’ve expected anything remotely close to this. I’ve been extremely blessed for 1,000 different reasons. I’ll give you three: Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. To have those stars all in alignment, it’s been unbelievable. To just be able to share in it has been great.”
Scarnecchia was a member of the Patriots coaching staff for five of the franchise’s six Super Bowl victories. His return in 2016 helped bolster Tom Brady’s offensive line protection and ultimately led to two more Super Bowl wins.
Both Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft released statements on Scarnecchia’s retirement, while Brady also posted a thoughtful comment on social media.
Scarnecchia’s departure will certainly leave a void for the Patriots organization, who are losing one of the best.
